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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


n 

D 
D 
D 
D 
D 
D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 

Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommagee 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pelliculde 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  Je  couverture  manque 

Cjloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gdographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 


□    Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 


D 


n 


□ 


Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serree  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  int^rieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  rentoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  beer  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutdes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  film^es. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl^mentaires: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sort  peut-dtre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  jne 
modification  dans  la  mdthode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 


I      I    Coloured  pages/ 


/ 


D 
D 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagdes 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pelliculdes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  ddcoiordes,  tachet^es  ou  piqu6es 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d6tach6es 


Th 
to 


Showthrough/ 
Transparence 


I      I    Quality  of  print  varies/ 


Quality  in^gale  de  Timpression 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplementaire 


Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
r  nsure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partieilement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  filmdes  d  nouveau  de  fa9on  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


Th 
po 
of 
fill 


Or 
bo 
th« 
tic 
oti 
fin 
tic 
or 


Th 
thi 
Tir 
w^ 

Ml 
dif 
em 
be< 

rig 
rec 

mi 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmd  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqui  ci-dessous. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

/ 

12X 

16X 

20X 

24X 

2IX 

32X 

Th«  copy  filmad  her*  has  b««n  r«produc«d  thank* 
to  th*  g*n*ro*ity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


L'*x*mplair*  filmi  fut  raproduit  grAc*  A  la 
gAnAroaitA  da: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possibia  considaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacifications. 


Original  copias  in  printM>d  papar  covars  ara  filmad 
beginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  iliustratad  impras- 
sion.  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  copias  ara  filmad  beginning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  iliustratad  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ^>  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Lea  imagea  suivantas  ont  AtA  raproduites  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin.  compta  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattet*  de  I'exemplaire  film*,  et  en 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Lea  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couvarture  en 
papier  est  imprim^e  sont  filmAs  en  commenpant 
par  la  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  la  cas.  Tous  las  autras  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmAs  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
derniAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  -^>  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmAs  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  filmA  A  partir 
de  i'angia  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

SCOniSH   GKUGKAPHICAL   MAGAZINE.  JJol 


EAKLY  EXPLORATION  IN  NORTH-WEST  CANADA. 

By  Alexander  Beg(;,  C.C,  Author  of  The  Hishnj  of  Jiritlsh  Colnmhia. 

Tjieue  is  probably  no  portion  of  the  Earth's  surface  which  has  attracied 
so  much  public  attention  as  that  which  is  popularly  known  as  the 
"  Klondike,"  by  whicli  is  meant  that  portion  o(  the  Yukon  region 
having  for  its  centre  the  fabulously  rich  gold-bearing  mines  on  the 
streams  emptying  into  the  Yukon  river,  near  Dawson  :  one  of  tho.se 
streams  is  the  Klondike. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  the  reader  to  learn  a  iuw  paiticulars  respect- 
ing that  vast  and  rich  mineral  region,  to  know  who  was  the  lirst  explorer 
to  enter  the  country,  and  when  it  was  lirst  occupied  by  white  men.  This 
region  is  of  immense  extent,  being  estimated  to  be  1 100  miles  long  from 
north  to  south,  800  miles  in  width  from  east  to  west,  and  to  contain 
nearly  600,000  square  miles,  or  about  370,000,000  acres. 

To  the  celebrated  Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie,  one  of  the  partners  of 
the  Montreal  North-^Vest  Fur  Company,  who  in  1789  travelled  to  the 
Arctic  Ocean  by  the  Mackenzie  liver,  which  will  always  bear  his  name, 
belongs  the  honour  of  having  taken  the  first  steps  towards  making  known 
even  the  outlines  of  what  was  then  a  term  incotjnila. 

In  1792-3,  after  a  voyage  to  England,  Mackenzie  proceeded  to  the 
Pacific  coast,  following  a  south-westerly  course  from  Lake  Athabasca 
(lat.  59°  N.  and  long  111"  W.),  rhi  Peace  river,  and  thence  westward,  in 
about  lat.  5i°  N.  to  long.  133'  \V.,  to  a  stream,  flowing  south,  which  he 
mistook  for  a  branch  of  the  Columbia  river.  In  1808  Mr.  Simon  Eraser 
explored  that  river  to  its  outlet  on  the  coast,  and  it  was  named  after  him 
"  Eraser  river."  Mackenzie,  desirous  of  reaching  the  coast  without  going 
farther  south,  changed  his  course  more  to  the  west,  and  arrived  at  Pacific 
tide  water  .July  2l>nd,  1793,  at  about  lat.  52^  N.  and  long.  129"  W. 
Tims,  in  a  totally  unknown  country,  amongst  savages,  he  had  journeyed 
over  seven  degrees  of  latitude  and  eighteen  degrees  of  longitude. 

Until  after  the  amalgamation  of  the  North-West  Eur  Company  with 
the  Hudson  Bay  Comp.any,  in  1821,  the  vast  region  north  of  Lake 
Athabasca  and  west  of  Mackenzie  river  was  unoccupied  by  white  men. 
The  North-West  Fur  Company  had  penetrated  west,  following  Mackenzie's 
exploration,  and  south  by  the  Columbia  river  to  its  outlet  in  the  Pacific 
at  Astoria.  They  had  full  possession  of  the  whole  country  to  the  west 
of  the  Rocky  mountains,  which  they  named  New  Caeeduma.  The  fur 
trade  was  extended  enormously  by  them,  but  was  chieHy  carried  on  to 
the  south  of  the  Athabasca  route. 

After  the  amalgamation  of  the  two  companies  in  1821,  the  business 
was  carried  on  in  the  name  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  They  extended 
their  trading-posts  northwanl  along  Mackenzie  river  and  westward  to 
the  Pacific.  The  ollicers  sent  in  advance  to  explore,  to  build  trading- 
posts  or  forts  for  defence,  and  to  open  up  a  trade  with  the  natives,  were 
men  who  had  experience  in  the  business,  and  were  thoroughly  reliable, 
being  generally  chosen  to  hll  thoi^e  important  positions  on  account  of  their 


ii^G56j 


352 


SCOTTISH   UEOGKAPUICAL  MAGAZINK. 


capacity  for  management.  They  were  required  to  keep  a  diary  in  whicii 
was  entered  every  day  tlie  worlc  performed  by  tiie  men,  amount  of 
trade  transacted,  etc.  etc. 

The  first  record  obtainable  pertaining  to  the  Yukon  country  is  from 
1834,  when  it  was  under  tlie  management  of  Mr.  Robert  Campbell,  a 
luitive  of  Glenlyon,  Scotland.  He  joined  the  Hudson  Hay  Company  in 
1832,  and  two  years  afterwards  was  placed  in  cluirge  of  the  Mackenzie 
district  with  headquarters  at  Fort  Simpson,  which  is  situated  at  the 
confluence  of  the  Liard  river  with  the  Mackenzie,  in  about  lat.  52^  and 
long.  12-2". 

Before  the  year  1838  Mr.  Campbell  had  established  several  tading- 
posts  on  Liard  river,  and  had  reached  Dease  lake,  the  western  head- 
waters of  the  Liard.  He  established  a  trading-post  there,  and  with  a 
few  of  his  men  crossed  the  "  divide  "  or  height  of  land  between  Dease 
lake  and  Stikine  river,  intending  to  proceed  to  the  coast  at  Wrangel. 
On  his  way  he  was  met  by  a  large  party  of  coast  Indians  and  captured, 
but  with  his  men  escaped  and  retreated  towards  Dease  lake.  In  their 
flight  they  destroyed  an  Indian  bridge  over  the  Tahltan  to  prevent 
pursuit.  Shortly  after  the  coast  Indians  joined  the  Dease  Lake  Indians, 
attacked  the-trading  post,  pillaged  it,  and  drove  Mr.  Campbell  and  his 
men  out  of  their  country. 

Mr.  Campbell  then  apparently  shaped  his  course  northwai'ds  along 
the  Liard,  for  in  1840  we  find  trace  of  him  at  Lake  Frances,  the  northern 
source  of  the  Liard,  where  he  established  a  trading-post.  He  next  pro- 
ceeded westward  across  the  height  of  land  to  Lake  Finlayson,  which  he 
discovered  and  named.  In  two  days'  further  travel  he  reached  a  large 
river  which  he  named  Pelly.  lleturning  to  Fort  Frances  in  1843,  Mr. 
Campbell  again  crossed  the  height  of  land  to  Pelly  river,  which  he 
followed  until  he  reached  its  confluence  with  another  larger  river  flowing 
from  the  south,  whicli  ho  named  Lewes,  The  junction  of  those  two 
rivers  forms  the  main  bianch  of  the  Yukon  river.  Mr.  Campbell  was 
the  first  ivhife  man  to  stand  on  that  spot. 

He  continued  his  explorations  down  the  river  for  about  seven  hundred 
miles  to  the  confluence  of  the  Porcupine  river  with  the  Yukon.  At  this 
junction,  about  lat.  .')6°  50'  and  long.  145°,  Fort  Yukon  was  established. 
Mr.  G.  Bell,  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  in  1846  proved  that  establish- 
ment to  be  about  150  miles  west  of  the  Hist  meridian,  or  the  boundary 
line  between  British  and  Russian  territory ;  but  no  Russians  or  any 
traces  of  their  occupancy  were  seen.  From  Fort  Yukon  Mr.  Campbell 
ascended  Porcupine  river  to  its  eastern  source,  and  crossed  the  height  of 
land  to  Peel  river,  a  small  tributary  of  the  Mackenzie,  not  far  from  its 
outlet  in  the  Arctic  Ocean,  From  the  outlet  of  Peel  river  he  ascended 
the  Mackenzie  to  Fort  Simpson,  his  headquarters,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Liard. 

Again,  in  1848,  Mr.  Campbell  crossed  to  the  Pelly,  and  descended 
that  river  to  Fort  Selkirk,  which  he  named,  and  established  a  trading- 
post  there.  That  fort  was  pillaged  by  the  Chilcat  Indians  in  1851. 
After  the  pillage  Mr.  Campbell  returned  to  Fort  Frances. 

During  1852-3  Mr.  Campbell  made  a  remarkable  journey  east.     He 


1 

1 

I 


'"'mm 


EAULY   EXI'LOUATIOX   IX    NORTH-WEST  CANADA. 


363 


left  White  river,  near  tlie  Alaskan  boundary,  on  September  6tli,  ascended 
the  Pelly  to  one  o*"  its  sources,  and  crossed  the  mountains  to  a  branch  of 
the  Liard,  which  he  followed  to  Fort  Simpson,  arriving  there  October 
21st,  Winter  having  set  in,  he  started  on  snow-shoes  to  make  a  journey 
to  Crow  Wing  on  the  ^Mississippi  river,  extending  over  sixteen  degrees 
of  latitude.  He  had  with  him  three  men  and  a  train  of  dogs.  The  dogs 
were  changed  at  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  trading-posts  along  the 
route. 

The  route  from  Fort  Simpson  lay  by  Great  Slave  Lake,  Lake  Atha- 
basca, He  a  la  Crosse,  Carlton  House,  Fort  Pelly,  Fort  Garry  (Winnipeg), 
and  Pembina.  On  March  13th  ^Ir.  Campbell  reached  Crow  Wing,  where 
he  obtained  horses  for  the  journey  to  Chicago.  From  Chicago  he 
contiimed  his  journey  eastward,  and  arrived  at  Montreal  on  the  1st  of 
April.  Such  was  his  despatch  that  he  was  enabled  to  report  himself  in 
London,  at  the  Hudson  Bay  House,  on  the  18th  of  April  1 853.  From  his 
starting-point  on  the  Pelly- Yukon  he  had  made  a  continuous  journey  of 
9700  miles,  nearly  half  of  which  was  through  an  uninhabited  wilderness  ; 
and  of  this  distance  some  three  thousand  miles  were  passed  over  in  the 
dead  of  winter  on  snow-shoes. 

L  ^ntually  circumstances  combined  to  produce  changes  in  the  trade 
of  the  i  ■  udson  Bay  Company.  The  remote  trading-posts  along  the  Yukon 
and  Porcapine  and  Fort  Selkirk  were  abandoned.  The  liussian  Fur 
Company  did  not  build  trading-establishments  on  the  mainland.  The 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  however,  in  1834  built  a  trading-post  on  Nass 
river,  and  being  desirous  of  extending  their  trade  along  Stikine  river,  a 
vessel  loaded  with  supplies  was  sent,  in  charge  of  factor  Ogden,  to  the 
mouth  of  the  river.  On  reaching  the  mouth  it  was  intercepted  by  two 
armed  Russian  vessels  which  fired  upon  it. 

Retreating  beyond  range  of  the  shot,  the  crew  cast  anchor.  Soon  a 
boat  from  the  shore  approached  and  intimated  that  if  they  desired  to  save 
themselves,  their  i)roperty,  and  their  vessel,  they  must  weigh  anchor  at 
once  and  return  to  their  own  harbour.  With  this  notification  they 
complied,  and  returned  to  Fort  Vancouver,  near  tha  mouth  of  Columbia 
river.  A  report  of  the  affair  was  transmitted  to  London,  along  M-ith  a 
claim  of  £20,000  sterling  as  damages  for  interference  and  the  loss  of 
trade  in  consequence  of  the  posts  up  the  country  not  receiving  their 
supplies. 

After  considerable  delay  the  claim  was  waived,  and  the  dispute  settled 
by  the  Russians  agreeing  to  grant  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  a  lease 
of  all  their  territory  lying  between  Cape  Spencer  (lat.  58°  15'  N., 
long.  13G'  30'  W.)  and  Cape  Chacon  (lat.  54°  40'  N.),  on  condition 
that  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  paid  an  annual  rental  of  two  thousand 
land-otter  skins,  and  at  the  same  time  supplied  the  Russian  colony  at 
Sitka  with  a  large  quantity  of  provisions  at  moderate  rates.  This  lease 
gave  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  full  control  of  the  fur  trade  with  the 
natives,  and  power  to  prevent  United  States  traders  from  trespassing  in 
the  various  channels  and  inlets  to  which  they  had  access  from  the 
ocean. 

The  arrangement  gave  satisfaction  to  both  parties.     The  irritation 

VOL.  XV.  2  V 


364 


SCOTTISH  QEOORAPHICAL  MAGAZINE. 


caused  by  the  unsettled  line  of  demarcation  disappeared.  Wrangel  and 
Stikine  river  and  all  the  islands  south  of  Cross  Sound  (Cape  Spencer) 
■were  added  to  the  former  immense  hunting-grounds  of  the  Hudson  I'ay 
Company.  It  is  interesting  to  note  how  exact  and  perfect  was  the 
management  of  the  Company,  and  how  unil'ormly  their  trading-posts 
were  extended  to  more  remote  jilaces,  viz.,  to  Nass  in  1834,  under  Mr, 
Ogden's  management,  and  to  Fort  Frances,  Fort  Liard,  and  Dease  Lake, 
under  the  superviiion  of  Mr.  R.  Campbell. 

In  1840,  Fort  Durham  was  built  at  Taku,  but  was  shortly  afterwards 
abandoned,  as  it  was  decided  that  it  would  be  more  profitable  to  trade 
with  the  natives  from  the  decks  of  the  Company's  vessels  than  to 
maintain  permanent  trading-posts.  In  1843,  when  Fort  Victoria  was 
completed,  all  tlio  Pacific  coast  forts  were  closed,  with  the  exception  of 
Fort  Simpson,  near  Nass  river.  (This  Fort  Simpson  should  not  be 
mistaken  for  that  of  the  same  name  on  Mackenzie  river.)  Fort  Durham 
on  Taku  Inlet  was  the  most  northern  trading-post  built  on  the  Pacific 
coast. 

Whilst  the  changes  referi'ed  to  were  taking  ^ilace,  the  remote,  ciit- 
lying  Yukon  region  was,  in  a  measure,  lost  sight  of.  The  exclusive 
pri\il{'ges  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Comi^any  over  that  portion  of  the  con- 
tinent of  North  America,  west  of  the  Kocky  mountains,  had  been 
extended  for  twenty  years.  Their  lease  from  the  Russians  had  been 
renewed ;  genei-al  prosperity  prevailed.  Changes,  however,  were  at 
hand.  New  Caledonia  and  Vancouver  Island  were  formed  into  a  Crown 
colony.  Its  northern  boundary  was  fixed  at  the  COth  degree  of  north 
latitude.  Its  western  boundary  was  not  defined  otherwise  than  by  the 
Anglo-liuGsian  Treaty  of  1825 — nor  was  it  necessary  under  the  Russian 
lease. 

The  lease,  however,  terminated  in  18G7,  when  the  United  States 
Government  purchased  "  Russian  America,"  together  with  all  its  rights 
and  privileges.  The  gold  excitement  of  1858,  in  British  Columbia, 
created  many  changes.  The  result  was  that  a  large  number  of  the 
floating  mining  population  remained  in  the  country,  and  engaged  in 
developing  it,  so  that  little  attention  was  paid  to  the  northern  country, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Stikine  river  and  Dease  lake  region,  in  con- 
nection with  a  temporary  gold  rush. 

From  San  Francisco,  via  St  Michael's  and  along  the  Yukon  to  Fort 
Ciidahy,  considerable  trade  was  carried  on ;  but  until  after  Dr.  G.  M. 
Dawson's  visit  to  the  Yukon  region,  in  connection  with  the  Canadian 
Geological  Survey,  in  1887-8,  no  reliable  maps  of  that  country  were 
published.  Dr.  Dawson  entered  the  country  by  the  Stikine  river  and 
Dease  lake — thence  by  Liard  river,  following  Mr.  R.  Campbell's  route, 
already  referred  to.  From  Fort  Selkirk,  Dr.  Dawson  travelled  by  the 
Yukon,  to  the  point  on  that  river  named  "  Dawson  "  after  himself.  He 
returned  south  by  Lewes  river  and  portages  to  Lynn  Canal.  Along 
with  his  report,  Dr.  Dawson  published  a  map  in  three  sections,  giving 
details  and  particulars  of  his  circular  trip  to  the  countrj'  which  has  sii\ce 
become  so  famous. 

It  would  appear  from  a  reference  made  to  "  Dawson  "  by  a  lady,  who 


EARLY   EXri/JRATION    IN    NOI!TH-WKST  CANADA. 


355 


haa  wintered  there  (1898-9)  that  the  climato  for  a  portion  of  the  year 
at  least  is  very  enjoyable.  The  lady  writes  (April  8) :  "  Tlie  March 
month  of  the  Yukon  is  one  of  the  gems  of  the  year.  Of  all  that  dwell 
in  ray  memory,  this  March,  spent  in  the  Yukon,  has  been  incomparably 
the  finest;  from  first  to  last  a  series  of  still,  fair,  sunshiny  days,  each 
lengthening  and  warming  into  greater  geniality,  until  now  in  these  last 
hours  the  little  hill-encircled  basin  and  its  bit  of  the  big  Yukon  river 
is  flooded  with  sunshine ;  the  surface  of  the  ground  is  soft  enough  to 
demand  the  pulling  oil  of  moccasins  and  felt  boots,  and  the  daylight  lasts 
far  into  the  evening. 

"  Scanning  the  past  weeks,  we  recall  nothing  of  the  raw  wind,  or 
rude  or  blustering  blizzard — only  a  gentle,  continuous  mellowing  from 
mid-winter  severity,  and  a  gradual,  gracious  extension  of  warmth  and  light. 
"  It  seems  absurd  to  have  to  come  to  the  sub-arctics  to  deify  March, 
yet  here  in  this  windless  valley  of  the  Yukon  it  lias  been  a  glorious 
month  throughout." 

Since  the  present  gold  excitement  has  taken  place  in  the  Yukon 
district,  there  has  been  considerable  irritation  manifested  by  United 
States  citizens  relative  to  the  boundary  line  between  Alaska  (formerly 
"  Ilussian- America  ")  and  British  territory.  The  latter  includes  the  North- 
AVest  Territories  of  Canada  and  the  province  of  British  Columbia,  which 
are  separated  from  each  other  by  the  GOth  parallel  of  latitude.  Here 
again  there  has  occurred  some  friction,  as  a  new  gold-field,  Atlin,  was 
discovered  last  summer,  partly  on  the  boundary  line  just  mentioned. 
Miners  having  claims  on  the  north  side  of  this  line  are  subject  to  the 
North- West  Territories'  mining  regulations,  whilst  those  on  the  south 
side  must  comply  with  the  British  Columbia  mining  regulations, 
which  are  in  some  respects  different  from  those  of  the  North- West 
Territories. 

Again,  as  if  to  complicate  matters  still  more,  an  alien  Act  was  passed 
last  session  by  the  Parliament  of  British  Columbia,  restricting  citizens 
of  the  United  States,  and  other  aliens,  from  taking  up  mining  claims  in 
I>ritish  Columbia,  and  thus  [)lacing  them  on  the  same  footing  as 
Canadian  miners  in  the  United  States.  !Many  of  those  aliens  have  left 
Atlin.  Some  of  them  have  crossed  the  boundary  line  (141st  meridian) 
to  Alaska  proper ;  others  have  gone  towards  Dawson.  The  line  of 
demarcation  between  British  Columbia  and  the  Xorth-West  Territories 
is  now  being  surveyed  and  marked  out.  There  is  pressing  need  for  the 
permanent  location  of  the  boundary  line  between  Alaska  and  Canada 
from  the  Arctic  Ocean  southwards  to  Cape  Chacon. 

There  is  no  difficulty  in  locating  the  line  of  demarcation  from  the 
Arctic  Ocean  south  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  on  the  141st  meridian,  according 
to  the  Anglo-Itussian  Treaty  of  1825.  That  meridian  passes  a  few 
miles  to  the  west  of  Mount  St.  Elias,  and  the  boundary  should  only 
reach  to  within  ten  marine  leagues  of  the  ocean  coast,  at  the  Gulf  of 
Alaska,  and  then  proceed,  acording  to  the  Treaty,  ten  marine  leagues 
distant  therefrom,  until  it  reach  Cross  Sound  or  Cape  Spencer,  leaving 
the  "strip  of  land"  mentioned  in  the  Treaty  as  belonging  to  the 
United  States. 


350 


SCOTTISH  GEOGRAPHICAL  MA(iAZINE. 


Then  starting  from  the  point  where  the  strip  of  land  on  the  main- 
lantl  ends,  the  line  is  continued  parallel  to  the  ocean  coast  and  follows 
its  windings  south-eastwards  down  to  lat.  5G"  X.,  not  at  any  part  of  it 
receding  more  than  ten  marine  leagues  from  the  ocean ;  the  outer  or 
landward  side  of  this  strip  of  land  (or  land  ami  water)  is  to  follow  the 
summit  of  the  mountains  situated  parallel  to  the  coast,  where  such 
summit  shall  prove  to  be  at  a  distance  of  not  more  than  ten  marine 
leagues  from  the  ocean. 

As  a  portion  of  Prince  of  Wales  Island  lies  north  of  the  5Gth 
parallel  of  latitude,  and  as  the  whole  of  that  island  is  assigned  to 
Russia,  the  Treaty  accordingly  directs  that  the  line  of  demarcation  shall 
commence  from  the  southernmost  extremity  of  the  island  (Cape  Chacon), 
and  shall  ascend  north  along  the  channel  which  bounds  the  island  itself, 
and  which  is  shown  on  the  map  as  "  Clarence  Strait "  (otherwise  called 
Portland  Channel),  to  the  point  of  the  continent  where  it  strikes  the 
56th  i)arallel  {i.e.  at  the  132nd  meridian).  From  that  point  the 
boundary  as  above  described  proceeds  in  a  north-Avesterly  direction  to 
the  mainland  at  Cross  Sound,  thence  to  the  1  ilst  meridian  and  on  that 
meridian  to  the  Arctic  or  frozen  ocean. 

It  may  probably  suit  the  High  Joint  Commission  to  agree  to  tlie 
foregoing  interpretation  of  the  Treaty,  which  is  believed  by  hundreds 
of  Canadians  to  be  correct;  or  they  may  modify  it  somewhat,  by  making 
a  conventional  water-boundary  from  Cross  Sound  throughout,  running 
to  the  east  of  Chichagof,  Baranof,  and  Kuiu  islands  to  the  northern  end 
of  PriL  Wales  Island,  thence  to  Clarence  Strait  and  Ernest  Sound, 

where  ■  th  parallel  of  latitude  strikes  the  continent.      Such  a  line 

of  den  j,.t  ..on  would  be  suitable  and  convenient  l)oth  to  Great  Britain 
and  the  United  States,  and  '.vould  restore  to  British  Columbia  her 
original  frontier,  which  has  been  sadly  encroached  on  since  1867, 


THE  TRANSCASPIAN  DESERT. 

At  the  time  of  the  International  Geological  Congress  held  at  St.  Peters- 
burg in  1897,  Professor  Georg  Boehm  ^  and  Professor  J.  Walther  joined 
the  Ural  excursion  and  visited  Transcaspia.  Crossing  the  Caucasus  and 
the  Caspian  Sea,  they  arrived  at  Krasnovodsk,  now  the  terminus  of  the 
railway.  The  town  stands  70  feet  below  the  level  of  the  ocean,  at  the 
foot  of  steep  bare  walls  of  rock,  which  leave  a  small  strip  free  along 
the  shore.  Krasnovodsk  is  rapidly  rising  in  importance.  It  has  hardly 
a  drop  of  fresh  water,  and  all  the  water  for  drinking  purposes  is  brought 
by  the  railway  from  Jebel,  or  distilled  from  sea-water.  Vegetation,  too, 
is  entirely  absent,  and  the  heat  and  dust  in  summer  are  almost  unbear- 
able. Nevertheless,  the  traffic  of  the  port  increases  rapidly  from  year 
to  year. 

A  rather  steep  path  leads  to  the  heights  above,  where  a  Persian 

1  Oeographische  Zdtschrift,  Ileft  5. 


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